Every Chinatown is regarded as a place of mystery and intrigue, but San Francisco's version is probably the most elusive of all. This map by artist Ethel Chun uses a traditional Chinese color scheme to try and explain the chaos of Chinatown to the average American tourist.
Every Chinatown is regarded as a place of mystery and intrigue, but San Francisco's version is probably the most elusive of all. This map by artist Ethel Chun uses a traditional Chinese color scheme to try and explain the chaos of Chinatown to the average American tourist.
Courtesy Ethel M. Fair Collection (246), Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress
On this map of 'Monsters of the United States,' Nestel displayed each American state through its representative cryptid. Delaware is the only exception, being mysteriously monster free.
On this map of 'Monsters of the United States,' Nestel displayed each American state through its representative cryptid. Delaware is the only exception, being mysteriously monster free.
Courtesy Chelsea Nestel
Artist Pietro Ruffo's 'The Colors of Cultural Map' is conceived as a large atlas of the countries of the world and the differences that unite and divide them.
Artist Pietro Ruffo's 'The Colors of Cultural Map' is conceived as a large atlas of the countries of the world and the differences that unite and divide them.
Pietro Ruffo
Artist Chelsea Nestel produced a one to one scale scientific map of her body based on radiography and research. The cartographer also used collaged memories to create a personal map of emotions.
Artist Chelsea Nestel produced a one to one scale scientific map of her body based on radiography and research. The cartographer also used collaged memories to create a personal map of emotions.
Courtesy Chelsea Nestel
The "Babylonian Map of the World," a clay tablet created in Mesopotamia around 700 to 500 B.C., shows the known world ringed by a circular waterway labelled "Salt-Sea" and surrounded by eight triangular regions.
The "Babylonian Map of the World," a clay tablet created in Mesopotamia around 700 to 500 B.C., shows the known world ringed by a circular waterway labelled "Salt-Sea" and surrounded by eight triangular regions.
Courtesy of The British Museum
For Fuller's map of Beijing, he walked the city's entire Sixth Ring Road, observing and taking notes and photos. The final work blends historic landmark like the Forbidden City with electric cars, coal plants and imaginary temples.
For Fuller's map of Beijing, he walked the city's entire Sixth Ring Road, observing and taking notes and photos. The final work blends historic landmark like the Forbidden City with electric cars, coal plants and imaginary temples.
Courtesy Fuller
In this map, the binary code flowing in rivers symbolizes data being shared across the city and cleaned in "social media spam" sewage works.
In this map, the binary code flowing in rivers symbolizes data being shared across the city and cleaned in "social media spam" sewage works.
Courtesy Fuller
For Beijing-based artist Qiu Zhijie, maps are less about the physical geography of a space than the relationships of complex, often intangible subjects.
For Beijing-based artist Qiu Zhijie, maps are less about the physical geography of a space than the relationships of complex, often intangible subjects.
Courtesy of Qiu Zhijie
Of all the maps in Map: Exploring the World, this one pushes the concept of what we think a map is to its limits. Sorting out the complexity of the network of neurons that make up the human brain is perhaps the most complex cartographic project ever undertaken. It is a mapping survey seeking to discover the workings of our inner space and not the usual outer or geographic space. The tools used to make this map, things like magnetic resonance imaging, are very much like the first satellites sent into orbit to map and remotely sense our planet. These instruments are however probing the consciousness of the very creatures that invented them and making discoveries about how we think, act and move around in the world.
Of all the maps in Map: Exploring the World, this one pushes the concept of what we think a map is to its limits. Sorting out the complexity of the network of neurons that make up the human brain is perhaps the most complex cartographic project ever undertaken. It is a mapping survey seeking to discover the workings of our inner space and not the usual outer or geographic space. The tools used to make this map, things like magnetic resonance imaging, are very much like the first satellites sent into orbit to map and remotely sense our planet. These instruments are however probing the consciousness of the very creatures that invented them and making discoveries about how we think, act and move around in the world.
john hesller, georgraphy and map division, library of congress, washington DC
What is a map, an artist production or a scientific tool? This "Daylight Map," pushes the definition to its limits. A work of art, made up of twenty-four neon tubes, it divides the world into international time zones. The tubes are not straight and evenly spaced but, as in all things political, individual countries have opted to adopt time standards that do not follow the expected patterns, resulting in the bent form of the tubes. At any given time about half the bulbs are illuminated, representing that part of the world experiencing daylight hours.
What is a map, an artist production or a scientific tool? This "Daylight Map," pushes the definition to its limits. A work of art, made up of twenty-four neon tubes, it divides the world into international time zones. The tubes are not straight and evenly spaced but, as in all things political, individual countries have opted to adopt time standards that do not follow the expected patterns, resulting in the bent form of the tubes. At any given time about half the bulbs are illuminated, representing that part of the world experiencing daylight hours.
john hesller, georgraphy and map division, library of congress, washington DC
This pictorial map might look like it comes from the time of Magellan and Columbus, but it was actually commissioned by New York bank Merrill Lynch in the 1960's. It features icons of the time such as the Apollo spacecraft and presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon - flying on the top of a bald eagle - in a surreal satirical take on the form that's very much of its time.
This pictorial map might look like it comes from the time of Magellan and Columbus, but it was actually commissioned by New York bank Merrill Lynch in the 1960's. It features icons of the time such as the Apollo spacecraft and presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon - flying on the top of a bald eagle - in a surreal satirical take on the form that's very much of its time.
Courtesy University of Chicago Press
"Map Showing Isle of Pleasure" (1931) by H.J. Lawrence shows a state of mind: the skull of a drunken person likely to be castigated by the prohibition movement of the 1920's.
"Map Showing Isle of Pleasure" (1931) by H.J. Lawrence shows a state of mind: the skull of a drunken person likely to be castigated by the prohibition movement of the 1920's.
Courtesy Muriel H. Parry Collection (65), Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress
Smelly maps, taking one's nose as a big data machine, capture the entire urban smellscape from social media data.
Smelly maps, taking one's nose as a big data machine, capture the entire urban smellscape from social media data.
Courtesy Good City Life
"New York's Thresholds of Smell" shows an exploration of the smells found in the doorways and windows of a Greenwich Village Block in the summer of 2013.
"New York's Thresholds of Smell" shows an exploration of the smells found in the doorways and windows of a Greenwich Village Block in the summer of 2013.